INSULATION A CHANGING
INSULATION LANDSCAPE
The UK still has the leakiest homes in Europe, which isn’t helping with the rocketing energy prices.
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usinesses and consumers alike are bracing themselves for tough times ahead. Energy prices have not just spiked to a record high but are here for the long haul. To date, the government’s priorities have focused on supply security and financial support for cash-strapped households. But this doesn’t address the issue of demand in what are still Europe’s leakiest homes.
Households must be insulated against these rising prices – literally. This month’s changes to Approved Document L (Part L) will introduce much stricter energy efficiency standards for new builds and extensions. But that doesn’t help people living in Britain’s 29 million existing homes. There are calls for an insulation retrofitting policy from both sides of the political divide, a solution that is supported by both the construction supply chain and homeowners. John Gaunt, sales director - Independent Merchant Groups at Knauf Insulation says that all this means demand for insulation will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. So, merchants must ensure they stock the right insulation to meet this demand.
Material choice
“The most important message is that material choice matters. There’s widespread recognition that buildings don’t perform as they were designed to – something that can be affected by installation quality,” he says.
This is because incorrect installation creates gaps that allow heat to escape. It means a product with a higher lambda (lower theoretical thermal performance) may outperform one with a lower lambda (better theoretical performance). To address this, Part L will introduce greater scrutiny of workmanship. So, it makes sense to use products that are easier to install correctly. “Compare mineral wool insulation with rigid boards for example,” he continues. “The innate flexibility of mineral wool means it adapts to imperfections in the substrate, friction fits to building elements and knits together at joints.
All of which helps to prevent gaps that reduce performance. By contrast, rigid boards are inflexible, which makes them prone to these types of gaps. Imperfections such as mortar snots cause breaks in contact with the substrate and because boards need to be cut to size, it can be difficult to align joints correctly. This means it’s much easier to achieve the intended performance with mineral wool insulation than with other materials.”
Product innovation
Gaunt says that Part L is just the first step in a series of changes to make buildings more energy efficient. “Meeting these new standards will not only require better installation, it will also require new product innovation – and fast. After all, it’s just three years until the even tighter Future Homes Standard will be introduced. “This means that over the next few years, merchants will need new solutions that deliver better thermal performance. But energy efficiency will not be the only consideration driving insulation choice.”
Fire safety continues to be a concern, he adds. “We are already seeing a trend amongst large architectural practices and contractors for using non-combustible materials as standard to help design out risk. This trend is set to grow as other factors such as the new Construction Products Regulator come into play.”
All this means demand for mineral wool insulation will increase. Gaunt points out that, unlike other insulation materials, Glass and Rock Mineral Wool is non-combustible, so it won’t
add to the development or spread of a fire should it occur. “So, where fire safety is concerned, why take the risk? It’s the best solution for all types and heights of buildings.”
Embodied carbon
Net zero is about more than reducing operational carbon. It’s also vital for the construction industry to decarbonise the supply chain. “There are no regulations governing embodied carbon yet, but it will only be a matter of time. “Merchants will increasingly find their customers asking about which products are low in embodied carbon to help achieve their own sustainability goals. Glass Mineral Wool is a good choice because certain products, such as Knauf Insulation’s Loft Roll 44 and DriTherm® Cavity Slabs, have the lowest levels of embodied carbon of any mainstream insulation material.” Merchants will need reliable sustainability data on hand. The best way to demonstrate this is through manufacturer’s Environmental Product Declarations, which list the environmental impact of a product across its lifecycle. The information complies with European standard EN 15804 and is independent third party authenticated. In anticipation of the market changes, Knauf Insulation has announced a £45M+ investment in its Glass Mineral Wool manufacturing plants in St Helens and Cwmbran.
The programme of work will boost its capacity in St Helens by 30,000 tonnes by early 2024, enable it to manufacture new lower-lambda products, and reduce the embodied carbon of its products manufactured by a further 20%. In Cwmbran, new packaging equipment will enable the production of Glass Mineral Wool slabs alongside its current roll and blowing wool capability. Gaunt says: “This will optimise our manufacturing and logistics footprint, improve availability to customers and take up to 1.5 million truck miles per annum off the road. “This will ensure merchants can source the innovative, non-combustible and low embodied carbon insulation products they need to meet demand, as the construction industry steps up to help address the energy crisis. “ BMJ
June 2022
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 41
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